386 Miscellanies. 



sippi, near St. Mary's landing, and heard a distant report, which he 

 was afterwards inclined to refer to the explosion of this meteor. At 

 Little Piney, Mr. Harrison and others saw the meteor burst in pieces, 

 and in a minute or a minute and a half afterwards, they heard three 

 explosions in quick succession. Some of the inhabitants went in 

 quest of the stones which they supposed had fallen, and finally found 

 a tree which appeared to have been recently injured by the collision 

 of some sohd body. Near this tree they discovered (although the 

 ground was covered with three or four inches of snow,) one of the 

 meteoric stones, about as large as a man's head, partly imbedded in 

 the earth ; and from the circumstances of its position and appearance, 

 there could be no reasonable doubt that this was the body which had 

 struck the tree. It is to be hoped that further search will be made 

 for other portions of this meteorite. 



The total weight of all the fragments which Mr. S. has brought 

 home, is 973 grains. The specific gravity of one of the small fragments 

 is 3.5 ; but diiferent portions of the stone may vary slightly in this re- 

 spect, as they may contain more or less of the metallic matter. The 

 resemblance between this meteorite and those of Tennessee, (this 

 Jour. 17, 323,) of Georgia, (lb. 18, 389,) and of Weston, Conn., is very 

 close, and one might almost imagine that they were all parts of the 

 same original mass. The cohesion of the stone is not great, as it 

 crumbles under a moderate blow. Two of the fragments retain por- 

 tions of the crust or exterior coating. This is a fifteenth of an inch 

 thick, and bears evidence of intense ignition and partial fusion. It is 

 black, with a wrinkled or cellular surface, and is traversed with seams. 

 The general color of the interior is an ash-gray. The whole mass is 

 studded with metallic particles, (varying from the size of small shot 

 down to mere points,) and presents numerous rusty spots, and occa- 

 sional small spheroidal concretions which do not appear to differ in 

 materials from other parts of the stone. The little metallic masses 

 (doubtless of nickeliferous iron) are attracted by the magnet ; and are 

 generally permeated by the earthy matter. They are mostly of an 

 iron-white color, but several are yellow and slightly iridescent. One of 

 these minute masses being removed from the stone, it was by the ham- 

 mer at once extended into a thin lamina, and was evidently malleable. 

 An analysis may be expected hereafter. 



E. C. Herrick. 



Sept. 25, 1839. 



Remark. — Having been familiar with meteorites and examined 

 many of them, I hesitate not to say that I am perfectly assured of the 

 genuine meteoric origin of the fragments described above, even with- 

 out any reference to the testimony. — Sen. Ed. 



